


House Rules

by Terminallydepraved



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Alcohol, Betting, Cheating, Gambling, Language, M/M, gambling au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-19
Updated: 2015-06-19
Packaged: 2018-04-05 03:07:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4163322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Terminallydepraved/pseuds/Terminallydepraved
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Felix loves it when they hit the tables. They know just how to keep the cards in their favor, and well, a little danger just keeps things interesting. Locus doesn't agree.</p>
            </blockquote>





	House Rules

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, this is my first time writing for this fandom but I've been a long time felix/locus fan. Please let me know what you think and as always, enjoy!

It was a thing of beauty, the way they worked the tables together. A sleight of hand here and the cards passed between clever fingers as they reached out to straighten an errant shirttail. God, Felix didn’t even need the whiskey in his hand right now, not with their rhythm so perfectly in sync that it was intoxicating. 

He shifted in his chair to cross his legs, the sole of his expensive shoe pressed into the hard thigh of Locus seated next to him. There was a glare and a grunt, a hand reaching out to push him away. Locus brushed the wrinkles and dirt from his pants, concealing the motion of him palming the ace that had been tucked against Felix’s ankle. 

Felix was so turned on when his partner’s hand showed the pair of aces. So turned on as those massive, throat crushing hands methodically stacked the hundreds of dollars of chips they had just won. He flashed a smile, threw some meaningless platitude out to console the losers around the table. It was his job to read the table, keep the atmosphere light and just this side of competitive, vindictive, reckless to keep them shoveling out more. Well, that and to load the deck.

They had a system, he and Locus. Locus, ever the calculated machine he claimed, was the primary player. If there was an advantage to be given, it found its way into his hand. He was intimidating, a force to be reckoned with on the poker table. Unreadable, aggressive, and completely decimating. He had the bad habit of not taking his opponents seriously though, unable to equate the plastic chips in his hand with cold hard cash and betting far more recklessly than he ought to. It was a problem sometimes, but when it arose it only meant Felix got to take a few rounds. He always found a way to keep their side of the table heavy with chips. If a few found their way into Locus’s pockets, well that just kept the game fun now didn’t it?

Mainly though, Felix did what he did best. He talked. He gestured. He manipulated and read and calculated the exact way to play them all to ensure they bet high on shit hands and folded on possibly good ones. It was criminal how simple it all was. A whisper here, a nod there, and Locus knew exactly how to work them. Experienced players were the main targets of bluffs, intimidation, and orchestrated tells. The newlyweds, pensioners, and drunken revelers out for a good time and early bankruptcy, blind to the intricacies of the game, were crushed by aggressive plays and their own inexperience exploited. They won often, and when they lost it was always a planned pittance.

And hey, if Locus started to wear out his winning streak then it was only fitting that the charismatic charmer win a few rounds. Who wouldn’t congratulate the young man on his splendid hand after a night of losing to the gruff gentleman who so pointedly avoided the table conversation? 

Again, it was simplicity defined and Felix loved every fucking minute. He downed his whiskey, his third at this point in the evening, and wrapped an arm around Locus’s waist in a fit of drunken flirting. “Aw baby, you’re cleaning me out here! You’d think you’d smile more after gettin’ all of our retirement funds,” he slurred with a sly grin, fingers dipping into the back pocket of Locus’s pants as if to cop a feel. He slipped the king and queen pair hidden up his shirt sleeve in as he palmed the firm ass, not fighting the iron grip practically ripping him from the pocket. 

“Keep your hands to yourself or you won’t be needing a retirement fund.” It was the most Locus had said in about an hour and it drew the eyes of their table mates, further escalating the desire to win and knock the rude man down a notch. After all, they liked the young man. It wasn’t kind to treat him this way.

“Cause you’re gonna support me for the rest of my life on that fortune you’re amassing? Come on Mister, buy me a drink and maybe you can teach me to play with the cardsharks.” Felix didn’t technically need to keep going, but God he loved it when Locus got angry at the table. “I bet you could teach me loads.”

Ah, there was the glare. Felix shivered and snatched another drink off a passing waiter’s tray, throwing down a handful of chips into the pot. At least half of the table followed suit. 

“No,” came the harsh reply, and Locus raised the bet another few hundred. The click of chips clattering was lost in Felix’s laugh.

“How about a bet of our own then, Mister Shark?” Felix offered with his most charming smile, his shoulder purposefully nudging Locus’s. It was another King this time, slipped into his waistband. It was impressive how well Locus ignore the fingertips lingering on his skin.

He got a grunt for his efforts and it only ingratiated the table to Felix even more. One elderly woman in particular stared at her hand with dogged determination to beat Locus for his rudeness. Felix guessed she had developed some little crush on him over the course of the evening, most likely from his flattering comments regarding her necklace and photos of her grandchildren. God these people were so easy. He was going to make sure she wouldn’t be able to afford Christmas presents for the ugly brats.

“If you win this hand, I’ll take my pathetic winnings and leave you be,” Felix began, spinning a chip like top on the tabletop. He grinned at Locus’s annoyed glare at the move.

“I’m listening.”

Felix laughed. “But if I win, you have to come home with me.” The table, avidly listening to their exchange, erupted in a twitter of laughs, gasps, and good ol’ fashioned wolf whistles. The grandmother next to him patted his arm and chastised his taste in men. He could do better, find himself a nice young man easily with how sweet he was. Fuck, it was almost better than sex.

Felix swore to every god known to man that he saw Locus almost smile. It was small, imperceptible by anyone but him, but there was a fucking smile on his partner’s face and Felix knew it was because Locus thought he had no chance of beating him. 

“If it gets you to leave me alone, then sure,” Locus purred in that ocean deep voice of his, the sound foreboding to every ear in the place but Felix’s. 

He swore he was luminous, swelling up to the lofty ceilings of the ritzy casino and obliterating everything in his wake besides the cards, the table, and Locus. “Oh darling, I think you underestimate me.”

The first round of betting had wrapped up and it was on to the deal. A two, a nine, a king. Felix grinned and threw down more chips, ignoring Locus’s confused stare. Why do this when he had already loaded Locus’s hand? Was he trying to tell him it was time to leave? Felix could read the uncertainty in Locus’s shoulders and that was worth more than the entire pot. 

Another round of betting, another card revealed. An ace. A few players bowed out but not Felix’s admirer. The old bat clutched her cards tightly and bought in, her grip broadcasting her bluff. It was almost sweet how hard she fought for his honor. Locus shifted in his seat and bored holes into the side of Felix’s grinning head.

More chips fell, the pot swelling to a good twenty five thousand. A few onlookers gathered behind the seats to watch. A card turned over, revealing another king. Felix grinned wider. All of the others shared a look and folded. All but granny. When this was over Felix decided he was going to steal her watch, spill his drink on those ugly ass photos. 

And then it was time to call. Felix smiled and gestured to the old bag to show first. She put on a brave face and showed her hand, a pitiful three and a seven. Completely worthless and a piss poor bluff at that. She shot him a small smile as if to tell him she did her best and Felix returned it, throwing down his hand to showcase his twin kings.

He could pinpoint the exact moment when Locus realized just how much Felix had rigged the entire table. His own hand held a king and a queen. If he turned his card over, there would be five on the table. Locus fumed, completely caught in the trap. 

“Something wrong, Mister Shark? You gonna let us see your hand?” Felix asked, oh so sweetly pressed against the stiff shoulder. He was playing with fire and begging to be burned. 

Locus grit his teeth and played the game, unwilling to deal with the house discovering they had a cheat in their midst. “You win,” he nearly spat, shoving his facedown cards into the middle pile in a fit of pique, completely burying them within the others. The table was silent for a moment before breaking into applause, conversation, and congratulations. He felt hands pound him on the back for throwing the game, all of them assuming that he really just wanted Felix in his bed. 

Felix had the audacity to look surprised as he pulled the huge pile of chips to him. “Well how about that! I can’t believe I beat you,” he began, shoving handfuls of chips into the velvet bag they hand everyone at the door. “But I’m so excited to cash these in. Do I need to see the front desk about cashing you in too?” His tipsy innuendo evoked another round of laughter and Locus glared at him with unadulterated anger. 

There was something about hustling that warmed the cockles of Felix’s heart. The power, the thrill, the knowledge that everybody around was playing to the shots he called; it was almost as good as Locus realizing that when Felix played to win, everybody was fair game. Even him. 

Locus should have just bought him the drink when he asked.

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by some fun I had tonight with my Locus (we both cosplay). My apartment complex decided to host a little casino night and we went, never having gambled together before. Turns out we make quite a good team. There was no actual cheating involved (at least no card passing/hand loading) but we did communicate strategy, pass chips to keep up illusions (the ass grab thing does in fact work), and more or less followed the betting styles I used for Felix and Locus in this. There also may have been profiling and pretty deliberate cleavage displayed/flirting used to disarm our competition. We made bank, came out with ten times as much as we went in with and we got a whole $150 bucks taken off my rent. We chatted about a gambling au idea in between hands and this is the product. I hope you guys enjoyed it. If you want to check out our cosplays, check me out on tumblr (terminallydepraved) and let me know how you felt about this! I really appreciate comments and criticism! Thanks and see you all next time.


End file.
